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2. Institutionalizing Downward Accountability: The Bangladesh Experience
- Author:
- Shaheen Anam
- Publication Date:
- 02-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- East Asia Institute (EAI)
- Abstract:
- In this issue briefing, Shaheen Anam, Executive Director at Manusher Jonno Foundation, explores the challenges of institutionalizing downward accountability and assesses how such difficulties are projected in development projects of various sizes. Anam argues that effective bottom-up planning requires expertise of stakeholders, strong political will from above, and most importantly, active participation of the local community. Through a Bangladesh case study, Anam offers a successful example of the civil society taking advantage of social accountability tools to channel its voice and improve the transparency of the authorities.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Development, Government, Accountability, Institutions, and Transparency
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
3. Scaling up locally led adaptation in Bangladesh: three action areas
- Author:
- International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
- Abstract:
- Although highly climate vulnerable, Bangladesh in South Asia is known as a pioneer of climate change adaptation. Recent national policies have recognised the vital importance of community-based and locally led adaptation (LLA). Where LLA interventions have been used by international and national nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), they have proven to be both effective and widely accepted by local communities. Yet major gaps remain in implementing LLA nationally due to legislative, administrative and conceptual limitations. Meeting Bangladesh’s ambitious national targets will require better coordination within government and with NGOs, so that each can benefit from the other. Building on recent examples, this briefing showcases existing interventions that are replicable and scalable and presents three key action areas requiring further government support. The lessons are also relevant to LLA practitioners in Bangladesh and other Least Developed Countries.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Local, Community, Adaptation, and Capacity Building
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
4. Community Governance During COVID-19: Case Studies from Rural Areas of Bangladesh
- Author:
- Tanvir Shatil, Md. Rohmotul Islam, Huraera Jabeen, and Shahaduz Zaman
- Publication Date:
- 01-2023
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
- Abstract:
- This working paper investigates community-driven initiatives in rural Bangladesh that emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and persisted beyond the crisis. Focusing on the sustainability of these initiatives, the study explores the preconditions for collective actions, the development of community-level governance during the crisis, and the mobilization and longevity of these efforts. Supported by the Institute of Development Studies, the research aims to contribute valuable insights into community governance mechanisms in low-resource areas, offering potential solutions for designing resilient emergency interventions and addressing long-term development challenges.
- Topic:
- Development, Governance, Rural, COVID-19, and Community Initiatives
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
5. Does WASH Infrastructures conforms to Nature Based Solutions? An exploration of FSTP at Shakhipur
- Author:
- Afsara Binte Mirza, Savio Rousseau Rozairo, Fatema Akhter, Ali Mohammad Rezaie, and Saleemul Huq
- Publication Date:
- 12-2022
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
- Abstract:
- The report highlights challenges and achievements, potential avenues to expand our existing Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) at Shakipur which was recognized by the Bangladesh Government in the 8th FYP. WaterAid undertook this study in collaboration with International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Water, Infrastructure, Public Health, Nature, and WASH Projects
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
6. Just Transition for Bangladesh
- Author:
- Mizan R. Khan, Afsara Binte Mirza, and Saleemul Huq
- Publication Date:
- 06-2022
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
- Abstract:
- In recent years, the just transition to a low carbon economy, supporting climate resilient development has become an issue of global concern for all the right reasons. The response measures to address climate change through switching to a cleaner energy mix and enhancing the adaptive capacity of society – businesses, workplaces and communities will entail significant disruptions particularly, to the lives and livelihoods of the working poor and the marginalised communities across the world. For the most vulnerable countries like Bangladesh, achieving a just transition is important. In countries like Bangladesh, which are not big users of fossil fuels, just transition as a response to climate change impacts relates more to strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities and rehabilitating the displaced people, ensuring their livelihoods and income opportunities. With this perspective, this policy brief reviews how workers and other vulnerable people are coping with the twin crises of climate change and COVID-19, and looks at the roles the Government of Bangladesh and the trade unions can play to strengthen the just transition measures.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Justice, Carbon Emissions, and Green Transition
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
7. China’s Influence in South Asia: Vulnerabilities and Resilience in Four Countries
- Author:
- Deep Pal
- Publication Date:
- 10-2021
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- China’s economic and political footprint has expanded so quickly that many countries, even those with relatively strong state and civil society institutions, have struggled to grapple with the implications. There has been growing attention to this issue in the United States and the advanced industrial democracies of Japan and Western Europe. But “vulnerable” countries—those where the gap is greatest between the scope and intensity of Chinese activism, on the one hand, and, on the other, local capacity to manage and mitigate political and economic risks—face special challenges. In these countries, the tools and tactics of China’s activism and influence activities remain poorly understood among local experts and elites. Both within and beyond these countries, meanwhile, policy too often transposes Western solutions and is not well adapted to local realities. This is especially notable in two strategic regions: Southeastern, Central, and Eastern Europe; and South Asia. China’s economic and political profile has expanded unusually quickly in these two regions, but many countries lack a deep bench of local experts who can match analysis of the domestic implications of Chinese activism to policy recommendations that reflect domestic political and economic ground truth. To address this gap, the Carnegie Endowment initiated a global project to better understand Chinese activities in eight “pivot” countries in these two strategic regions. The project’s first objective was to enhance local awareness of the scope and nature of Chinese activism in states with (1) weak state institutions, (2) fragile civil societies, or (3) countries where “elite capture” is a feature of the political landscape. Second, the project aimed to strengthen capacity by facilitating a sharing of experiences and best practices across national boundaries. Third, the project sought to develop policy prescriptions for the governments of these countries, as well as the United States and its strategic partners, to mitigate and respond to activities inimical to political independence or well-balanced economic growth and development. To establish a comprehensive picture of China’s activities and their impact, this project dug deeply into Chinese activism in four case countries in each region—eight countries in total. We began by holding workshops, so that influencers across countries could share experiences and compare notes. Invited participants included policymakers, experts, journalists, and others—all with deep local knowledge, steeped in their countries’ politics, economies, and civil societies. In Europe, the four countries were Georgia, Greece, Hungary, and Romania, and in South Asia, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Cross-national discussions among these regional participants aimed to raise awareness, discuss the implications of China’s growing activism in their countries, and compare notes on the diverse ways in which these various countries had managed the rapid influx of Chinese capital, programs, people, technology, and other sources of influence.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Development, Economy, Engagement, Regionalism, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh, China, South Asia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Maldives
8. The Savings and Growth Nexus in Bangladesh
- Author:
- Sultan Hafeez Rahman and Md. Nahid Ferdous Pabon
- Publication Date:
- 09-2021
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
- Abstract:
- The paper investigates the causal relationship between Bangladesh’s gross domestic savings (GDS) and gross domestic product (GDP) in the years 1980 to 2018. Using yearly time series data from the period, the authors employ one long-run and two short-run causality tests to identify the direction of causality between the two variables. Bangladesh experienced stellar GDP growth between 1990 and 2019, averaging 6.5 percent per year. In the latter years, this rate was over 7 percent per year. Despite that, its GDS rate only increased to 22 percent from 15 percent in the same period. This is in stark contrast to the scenario in countries like India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. The Philippines, however, had a low savings rate like Bangladesh. A common feature of both countries is their large remittances and the broad-based growth effects in the economies. In both Bangladesh and the Philippines, gross national savings (GNS) rather than GDS caused greater investment. Thus, domestic savings were clearly not the key driver of growth in Bangladesh, which is inconsistent with the view of capital fundamentalists and neoclassical growth theory. The findings suggest that, in the short run, the direction of causality between savings and economic growth is unidirectional from economic growth to savings. And in the long run, there is no evidence of statistically significant causality in either direction. In other words, higher economic growth induced savings in Bangladesh in the studied period of time.
- Topic:
- Development, GDP, Economic Growth, and Savings
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
9. Harnessing Inland Waterways for Inclusive Trade Among Bay of Bengal Countries
- Author:
- Veena Vidyadharan
- Publication Date:
- 05-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- The transboundary rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna along with their tributaries and distributaries create a vibrant water grid connecting their riparian countries. Historically, these rivers have played a prominent role in shaping the economy of the Indian sub-continent as a major means of trade and transportation. In the post-colonial era, new political boundaries between countries mostly cut off these riverine networks because the priority of the newly-established countries and their governments was to develop road and rail networks for internal consolidation and integration more efficiently. Hence, waterways connectivity among new regional countries was comparatively neglected. India and Bangladesh, for example, share 54 transboundary rivers. Despite existing bilateral agreements for using designated riverine routes for trade and transit, only in the past few years have infrastructural development initiatives started in India for constructing river terminals, multimodal terminals as well as fairway development. And there are other opportunities.
- Topic:
- Development, Infrastructure, Regional Integration, and Ecology
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh, South Asia, India, Indo-Pacific, and Bay of Bengal
10. Understanding the First and Second Digital Divides in Rural Bangladesh
- Author:
- Muhammad Shahadat, Hossain Siddiquee, and Saiful Md. Islam
- Publication Date:
- 12-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
- Abstract:
- Differences in individuals’ access to internet infrastructure refer to the first-level digital divide, whereas differences in an individual’s online skills and internet usage refer to the second-level digital divide. Bangladesh is a country with a clear-cut digital divide between rural and urban areas, which is primarily caused by income and wealth inequalities. But the uneven distribution of information and communications technologies (ICTs) between rural and urban areas contributes to the inequality in economic and social development. Therefore, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is taking initiatives to address the rural-urban divide in socio-economic development through the elimination of rural-urban disparities in the first- and second-level digital divides; this has become a key issue, as well as a major challenge for policymakers, practitioners, and academicians. The present research study uses the theory of digital divide stemming from a comparative phenomenon of different forms of inequalities and aims to generate meaningful insights about the spectrum of individual internet access and online skills (i.e. the first- and second-level digital divides) in the setting of rural Bangladesh, where there is a dearth of data as well as a research gap.
- Topic:
- Development, Infrastructure, Internet, and Rural
- Political Geography:
- Bangladesh and South Asia
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